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Visit to 'The Mind Museum' and Around Bonifacio Global City [★]

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Last weekend, RL (a friend and an office colleague) and I had the chance to visit one of the prime science museums of the country, The Mind Museum, located at The Fort, Taguig. (For instructions on how to go there, click here). Also after our three-hour slot in the museum, we strolled around and explored the area of BGC.Inside the Museum

The Mind Museum at Taguig

Entrance to the museum

The Mind Museum showcases interactive displays and exhibits about the Atom, Earth, Life, Universe, and Technology. There are shows in each of the sections that are optional for you to check out, lasting around 15 minutes, that narrate more in detail what that section is all about.

Some of the shows are in 3D.

I would love to share everything that I found in the museum but I think that would be unfair for those who haven't been there yet (no more element of surprise) so I would just enumerate here the highlights of my visit. :)Aedi, the RobotShe (I'm assuming it's a female, because of the ribbon xD) is the robot that welcomes the visitors. She tells a short introduction about the museum and the exhibits within it.

Stan, the T. rexYou would never fail to spot this dinosaur in the museum. It's the largest skeletal exhibit there, with a height of 40 feet.

Rawr!

Baggage X-Ray Machine Yes, there's one in the museum. We placed our bags through it and we were amazed on the resulting image displayed. My bag was a total chaos! Haha! RL identified one object as an umbrella. Only the metal ridges were evident on the image. xD

Van de Graaff Generator

This is the machine that makes your hair stand up due to static electricity.

I held on the silver sphere for around 2 minutes in total. I felt the hairs of my arms stand up. xD It was a very foreign sensation.Prehistoric Men StatuesThese figures caught my attention because they looked real, especially the woman who is bending down. I had to do a second look to make sure that she was really just a statue, and not an alive and breathing woman who was just posing very still.

These statues illustrate the evolution of man.

This woman statue looked too real. xD

The Moon and the StarsI was particulary amused by this one exhibit at the Universe section that shows the different phases of the moon. You can select the phase that you want to see by clicking the buttons.

Crescent is my favorite moon phase.

There's also this one, illustrating the stages in a star's lifetime. Blue star is the earliest stage and red star is the later stage of the star life cycle.

A red star, yellow star, and a blue star

Interactive ExhibitsThere are interactive sections scattered throughout the museum that challenge your knowledge about the sciences, and teach you new things along the way.

RL exploring a 3D diagram of the human body

Astrophotography Exhibit

It was the last day of MindBurst's "Spaced Out: Connecting with the Cosmos" astrophotography exhibit. Erika Valdueza and Anthony Urbano were two of the astrophotographers featured. They are members of the University of the Philippines Astronomical Society (UP Astrosoc) of which I am part of also when I was in college. During then, I got the chance to work with the two of them, especially Ms. Valdueza.

Erika Valdueza's corner in the exhibit, which includes the best of her lunar photos.

Anthony Urbano in the exhibit

Telescopes in exhibit

There were also actual meteorites and lunar rocks displayed there.Science-in-the-ParkThere's also this park at the other side of the museum. It's basically a playground, with some interactive elements, for children.

RL had fun with the bubbles. :O = OOoo

Beyond the MuseumSince our slot in the museum ended at lunch time, we still had time to go around and explore BGC. This tree-like structure was the first thing that got our attention so we approached it.

It was a work of art. However we noticed that it lacks maintenance because the light bulbs at the bottom of the tree trunks were out of order already. :(There are also creatively painted trash bins around the area. We were able to spot five different designs! :D

Also, this huge ad of HSBC on one of the buildings is eye-catching. RL thought that those eyes would actually light up at night. Too bad we couldn't stay long enough 'til nighttime to confirm this. xD

We also visited the four-story branch of Fully-Booked near the area. It was a nice day of adventure. Though a little exhausting (due to lots walking), it was so fun! BGC is really a nice place to walk your dogs, just like what I heard from people. It's also a good place to for the family to stroll around the park, and also if you just want to do eating and shopping (there are LOTS of restaurants and boutiques here!).I really had fun! Indeed, it was a day of firsts, and of new learnings. :)